Fugitive ceramic mold, formulations and method for investment casting

A method of producing a cast-metal part, the method comprising:

• three-dimensionally (3D) printing a preceramic resin in a shape of a fugitive mold, the fugitive mold comprising a solid portion comprising a supportive solid surface around the outer and lower perimeter of a fillable portion;
• curing the preceramic resin to form a preceramic polymer;
• pyrolyzing the fugitive mold to convert the preceramic polymer to a metastable ceramic material comprising an amorphous silicon oxycarbide ceramic;
• filling the fillable portion of the fugitive mold with a liquid metal or alloy;
• allowing the liquid metal or alloy to solidify over a first length of time to form the cast-metal part embedded in the fugitive mold;
• and
• heating the fugitive mold at a temperature lower than the melting point of the cast-metal part for a second length of time longer than the first length of time to disintegrate the metastable ceramic material by a heat-induced phase change and remove the cast-metal part from the metastable ceramic material.